A Coffee Break Story Collection: 36 Short Stories

by Sally Jenkins, Iain Pattison

Three of Sally Jenkins’ short story collections brought together in one bumper volume! This box set contains all 36 stories previously published in Sally’s individual collections, One Day for Me, Old Friends and House Guests. Enjoy tales with a twist, competition-winning prose and gentler slices of life, with a hint of romance. Many of these successful stories were selected for inclusion in UK publications such as The Weekly News, My Weekly and The People’s Friend. “Sally Jenkins knows how to build a story. She takes the mundane, and makes it intriguing. She hooks the reader, and reels him in ... her capacity for twisting each tale's ending is nothing short of phenomenal.” - US Readers’ Favorite Book Review Website. Delve inside and discover how the past catches up with a government minister. Read a tale of TV talent shows and first love. And experience a school French exchange visit with a difference … One Day for Me A middle-aged lady has a rare day of pampering. Will it be her last? Replacing the Empire Mrs Simpson gets cold feet before her marriage to Edward VIII The Loneliness of the Short Distance Runner Gold medals are achieved through sacrifice. Is it worth it? Found Property Charlotte finds an umbrella on a bus & starts her own business Deal or no Deal? Why does Julia meet her daughter’s boyfriend in a café? Out of the Shadows Sylvia has been out with married men before but Gerald is different Consequences The past catches up with the new ‘Minister for the Family’ A Tangled Web An imaginary boyfriend causes problems Another Fine Mess Diana took part in a ‘clean your house’ reality show. The film crew wants to pay a return visit but her house isn’t clean Please Hold Student Tom wants more cash from his mum Points Mean Prizes Robert is obsessed with supermarket loyalty points and grocery vouchers Old Friends Caroline’s life took a different path to that of her friends. How will she cope when they meet again? Genius Decision Barbara meets a genie - what will she wish for? Lifting the Cup A brand new football trophy is up for grabs Out of Control A terrifying experience in a car Champagne Girl A tale of TV talent shows and first love Mrs Muggins A mum drops hints about what she would like for her birthday Night Shift Louise’s boss is a tyrant Christmas Lights A story of neighbourliness Collateral Damage A dining room is wrecked Built to Last Yvonne’s wedding anniversary trip to Florence is not what she expected The Verdict Can the chairman of the jury get a unanimous verdict? Boxes in the Loft Lisa wants to make extra money

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 26, 2017

About the author

Sally Jenkins is an American sports columnist and feature writer for The Washington Post, and author. She was previously a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. She has won the AP Sports Columnist of the Year Award five times, received the National Press Foundation 2017 chairman citation, and was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize. She is the author of a dozen books. Jenkins is noted for her writing on Pat Summitt, Joe Paterno, Lance Armstrong, and the United States Center for SafeSport.

Reviews

[shark typhoon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute rubbish. The stories are obvious, unoriginal and always similar characters (older women?). Not really made for everyone and just a very specific demographic.

No surprises in any of the stories.

[Mik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheap and cheerful

A reasonable sets of short stories ranging from just a couple of pages to a handful of pages some just end abruptly but they passed the time on ideal for just having a cup of coffee when you need something to while away a few minutes

[stephen smitten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

Predictable short stories. Not a book that I would rush to read again. Ok to pass a bit of time.

[Sarah Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled the gaps between books nicely

Reading this made me realise how very clever short stories need to be to keep engaging you again and again. Well worth the read.

[Kyrenia Boucher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars a lovely collection of short stories. i enjoyed this book.